Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a device and method for pairing a device with at least one other device in a network.
Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless network 100, comprising a base unit 102 and a plurality of wireless units 104. Each wireless unit 104 may wirelessly communicate with the base unit 102 and/or with one or more of the other wireless units 104.
Such a network 100 is configured such that each of the wireless units 104 is authorized to fully communicate only with the other devices of the same network 100. In particular, wireless units 106 shown in FIG. 1, which for example form part of a neighboring network that is within the wireless communication range of base unit 102 and/or of one of the wireless units 104, may be permitted to exchange some minimal information with the devices of network 100, by they not authorized to perform high-level exchanges with devices of network 100.
In order to pair a new wireless unit with one or more of the devices of network 100, a process known as “pairing” is used. Once paired, the new device may wirelessly communicate with the other wireless units 104 and/or base unit 102 in the same way and to the same extent as the other wireless units 104. A risk during pairing is that a network intruder manages to have an unauthorized wireless device added to the network. An objective of pairing is therefore that the addition of new wireless devices is restricted to devices that a network operator wishes to be added to the network. Thus any other wireless device, such as units 106 in FIG. 1, should be prevented from being able to pair with network 100.
One solution for preventing unauthorized pairing of new wireless devices would be to use a button on the new wireless device, which can be pressed by a user during the pairing procedure to validate the pairing of this device. However, a determined intruder may be able to breach this security measure, for example by pressing at the appropriate time a similar button on an unauthorized wireless device. Furthermore, such a button adds cost, complexity, and the risk of malfunction to the wireless devices.
There is thus a technical problem in securely pairing new devices in a wireless network such as that of FIG. 1, without permitting unauthorized devices to be paired.